To reduce carbon emissions, renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric can be used to replace fossil hydrocarbons for production of electric power to be carried on an electrical grid. However, the use of renewable energy sources for power production is hampered by high costs, location restrictions and intermittent power output. In many cases, long range power lines bring power to the point of consumption hundreds, or even thousands of miles away from the energy source.
Conventional methods of electricity generation based upon coal require the mining of the coal, which is then typically transported by rail to a power plant. At the power plant, the coal is used to generate electricity, releasing fossil carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere. In electrical generation from natural gas, the natural gas is piped to an incineration site where the gas is burned to eventually drive an electrical turbine. However, the burning of natural gas also releases fossil carbon to the atmosphere.
In an effort to reduce carbon emissions, alternative energy sources are being developed. For example, hydrogen can be used to produce power in an internal combustion engine, and hydrogen can also be used to produce power in fuel cells. However, even “clean” hydrogen is usually produced from reforming of fossil hydrocarbons, which has a large carbon footprint. Alternatively, hydrogen may be produced by the splitting of water, however, this requires a significant amount of energy. In addition, the storage and distribution of hydrogen is expensive.